Tim and Monique spent four days visiting with Aunt Mary and touring the wonderful seaport city of Genoa in the Ligurian Sea.
On their arrival day, they settled into their flat, which was only a few blocks away from Mary's house. After a brief visit with her and the dogs, Tim, Monique and Mary walked to the local market where they picked up supplies for the next few days.
The next morning, after looking out their front window to watch the cruise ships arriving and departing from the Port of Genoa, they picked up Mary and left to explore the surrounding neighborhoods and enjoy the pace of a busy, yet casual city. Tim had seen some of the sites during his previous two visits, and Monique enjoyed hearing the local history from Mary for the first time. The historic architecture of the area was incredible. There were so many buildings that had stood for centuries. They looked in shop windows, they went in to some beautiful churches, and they stopped at an open-air market which had many crafts from other areas including France. After stopping by an ancient outdoor abbey and Christopher Columbus's family home, they had lunch in an alley-like street in front of one of Mary's go-to eateries.
After lunch, they saw more churches and other buildings, many of which were constructed of the dark and light marble layers that the region is known for. A final stop by the city fountain and then it was dinner time at a local favorite pizzeria. It doesn't get much better than having pizza with family in the country of its origin. It did not disappoint. After the walk back to their respective flats, the first full day in Genoa was wrapping up. Day 3 offered more cruise ship views in the harbor, then more exploration. This is where the travel finally caught up with Tim. He contracted a bug and chose to rest at the apartment, while Monique and Mary continued their adventure of seeing the sights of Genoa. They went to the University, hit some downtown shops, and went into any palace that would allow a tour. Mary and Monique then went down to the waterfront and found a pirate ship in the harbor (probably a movie prop of some kind). Tim napped through most of this day in hopes of recovering before their flight the next day. On the morning of the last day, Tim & Monique packed their travel belongings into their backpacks and went to Mary's to hang out for a bit, waiting for their flight departure. They shared one last meal and started a puzzle, while visiting with the dogs one last time. Tim and Monique would like to thank Mary for her hospitality and company. This family connection has made visiting Italy that much more special for Tim on his third visit to this wonderful country. A relatively short plane flight brought Tim and Monique to their final European destination of the trip, London, in jolly old England. Making notes from previous trips, Tim had remembered that it made for an easier transition to start and finish in an English-speaking land. This proved to be true again.
